scholarly journals Melatonin’s Antineoplastic Potential Against Glioblastoma

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Moretti ◽  
Gaia Favero ◽  
Luigi Fabrizio Rodella ◽  
Rita Rezzani
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Cancer Hallmarks ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Intracellular Pathways

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most intransigent and aggressive brain tumors, and its treatment is extremely challenging and ineffective. To improve patients’ expectancy and quality of life, new therapeutic approaches were investigated. Melatonin is an endogenous indoleamine with an incredible variety of properties. Due to evidence demonstrating melatonin’s activity against several cancer hallmarks, there is growing interest in its use for preventing and treating cancer. In this review, we report on the potential effects of melatonin, alone or in combination with anticancer drugs, against GBM. We also summarize melatonin targets and/or the intracellular pathways involved. Moreover, we describe melatonin’s epigenetic activity responsible for its antineoplastic effects. To date, there are too few clinical studies (involving a small number of patients) investigating the antineoplastic effects of melatonin against GBM. Nevertheless, these studies described improvement of GBM patients’ quality of life and did not show significant adverse effects. In this review, we also report on studies regarding melatonin-like molecules with the tumor-suppressive properties of melatonin together with implemented pharmacokinetics. Melatonin effects and mechanisms of action against GBM require more research attention due to the unquestionably high potential of this multitasking indoleamine in clinical practice.

scholarly journals Biomaterials in Valvular Heart Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bita Taghizadeh ◽  
Laleh Ghavami ◽  
Hossein Derakhshankhah ◽  
Ehsan Zangene ◽  
Mahdieh Razmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Surgical Approaches ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Valvular Heart Diseases

Valvular heart disease (VHD) occurs as the result of valvular malfunction, which can greatly reduce patient’s quality of life and if left untreated may lead to death. Different treatment regiments are available for management of this defect, which can be helpful in reducing the symptoms. The global commitment to reduce VHD-related mortality rates has enhanced the need for new therapeutic approaches. During the past decade, development of innovative pharmacological and surgical approaches have dramatically improved the quality of life for VHD patients, yet the search for low cost, more effective, and less invasive approaches is ongoing. The gold standard approach for VHD management is to replace or repair the injured valvular tissue with natural or synthetic biomaterials. Application of these biomaterials for cardiac valve regeneration and repair holds a great promise for treatment of this type of heart disease. The focus of the present review is the current use of different types of biomaterials in treatment of valvular heart diseases.

scholarly journals Pruritus: still a challenge

2012 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 735-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Rowilson Cunha ◽  
Oswaldo Delfini Filho
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Histamine Release ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Systemic Diseases ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Available Resources

Pruritus is a symptom that may be associated with a wide array of diseases - skin diseases, systemic diseases or even those without a defined cause. According to its severity and evolution, it may compromise the patients' quality of life in a significant way. New therapeutic approaches, in which histamine release is not the main event, are being described for pruritus control. Therefore, taking into account the origin of the mediators of pruritus, we conducted a review of the available resources emphasizing that, although very important, anti-histamines are not the answer for every kind of pruritus.

scholarly journals Does the Patient-Reported Apnea Questionnaire (PRAQ) increase patient-centredness in the daily practice of sleep centres? a mixed-methods study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e025963
Author(s):  
Inger L Abma ◽  
Maroeska M Rovers ◽  
Marijke IJff ◽  
Bernard Hol ◽  
Masha Nägele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Patient Centredness

ObjectivesThe objective of this exploratory study was to see how the Patient-Reported Apnea Questionnaire (PRAQ) may impact the daily clinical practice of sleep centres, and why it may or may not work as expected. The hypotheses were tested that this patient-reported outcome measure makes patients more aware of which of their health complaints may be related to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and that it improves patient-centredness of care by shifting the focus of care away from (only) medical problems towards the individual burden of disease and quality of life.DesignMixed methods. The quantitative study (surveys, patient records) was a before-and-after study.SettingThree sleep centres in The Netherlands (secondary care).Participants27 patients and 14 healthcare professionals were interviewed. 487 patients completed surveys pre-implementation, and 377 patients completed surveys post-implementation of the PRAQ. For the health records, 125 patients were included in the pre-implementation group, and 124 other patients in the post-implementation group.InterventionsThe PRAQ was used in clinical practice for six successive months.Outcome measuresScores on individual survey items, number of patients receiving non-medical treatment, adjustment of treatment at first follow-up, compliance with treatment.ResultsPatients were generally positive about the usefulness of the PRAQ before and during the consultation, as they felt more informed. Healthcare providers did not consider the PRAQ very useful, and they reported minor impact on their consultations. The surveys and health record study did not show an impact of the PRAQ on clinical practice.ConclusionsImplementing the PRAQ may be beneficial to patients, but this study does not show much impact with regard to patient-centredness of care. New Dutch guidelines for OSA care may lead to a greater emphasis on quality of life and value of care for patients, making its integration in clinical care potentially more useful.

scholarly journals NQPC-03 PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF QUALITY-OF-LIFE EVALUATION OVER TIME IN CLINICAL PRACTICE FOR PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii30-ii30
Author(s):  
Yuki Yamagishi ◽  
Mikiko Taku ◽  
Naomi Hanayama ◽  
Kuniaki Saito ◽  
Keiichi Kobayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Prognostic Significance ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Scale Level ◽  
Functional Scale ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Over Time

Abstract BACKGROUNDS Evaluation of quality of life (QOL) has been considered as an indispensable modality for assessment of treatment impact for patients with malignant brain tumor, especially glioblastoma. However, changes in patients’ QOL under clinical practice with current standard of care (SOC) have not been clearly and routinely explored, so that solid baseline QOL data under SOC are not available for reliable comparison with those with novel treatments. Here we retrospectively examined changes in QOL during SOC in glioblastoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma treated in our institute from April 2016 to April 2019, who underwent QOL evaluations using EORTC QLQ-C-30/BN-20 were eligible. Outcomes were assessed with clinical factors including therapeutic regimens. RESULTS Forty-two patients, median age 64 yo (25–87), male/female 26/16, were identified having longitudinal QOL data along with medical records. Median initial KPS and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score were 70 (20–90) and 27, respectively, suggesting this cohort containing those in good performance status. In four patients whose QOL queries were answered by a family, median MMSE was 16, indicating the impaired NCF affect self-report ability. Long term survivors without progression remained at an adequate functional scale level, while those who recurred declined in functional scale after progression, often accompanied with an increase in symptom scales associated with tumor location. The domains of declined functional scales varied among patients, and there was no clear tendency associated with patients’ backgrounds such as age and gender. The functional scale level improved in most cases when the recurrent disease was successfully treated, but it gradually declined in a stepwise fashion by repeated recurrences. CONCLUSIONS Changes in QOL in patients with glioblastoma were found to associate with disease status. The small number of patients who could be evaluated for QOL over time prevented extracting significant factors affecting QOL outcomes.

scholarly journals Neurorestoration after stroke

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. E2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tej D. Azad ◽  
Anand Veeravagu ◽  
Gary K. Steinberg
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Stem Cell Biology ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Broad Overview

Recent advancements in stem cell biology and neuromodulation have ushered in a battery of new neurorestorative therapies for ischemic stroke. While the understanding of stroke pathophysiology has matured, the ability to restore patients' quality of life remains inadequate. New therapeutic approaches, including cell transplantation and neurostimulation, focus on reestablishing the circuits disrupted by ischemia through multidimensional mechanisms to improve neuroplasticity and remodeling. The authors provide a broad overview of stroke pathophysiology and existing therapies to highlight the scientific and clinical implications of neurorestorative therapies for stroke.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS HIDUP MELALUI LOGOTERAPI PADA KLIEN YANG MENJALANI HEMODIALISIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Abdul Wakhid ◽  
Ana Puji Astuti ◽  
Maya Kurnia Dewi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Renal Failure ◽  
Test Group ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
T Test ◽  
P Value ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Mean

Logoterapi merupakan terapi untuk menemukan makna positif dibalik sebuah kejadian yang tidak diharapkan. Logoterapi dilaksanakan secara individu maupun berkelompok dalam bentuk konseling dan berorientasi pada pencarian makna hidup individu. Tujuan logoterapi meningkatkan makna pengalaman hidup individu yang diarahkan kepada pengambilan keputusan yang bertanggung jawab. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan rancangan pre-experiment dengan metode pre and post test group, artinya pengumpulan data dilakukan terhadap responden untuk membandingkan kualitas hidup sebelum dan sesudah dilakukan intervensi. Teknik pengambilan sampel dilakukan dengan metode total sampling yaitu pengambilan seluruh sampel dengan tetap memperhatikan kriteria yang telah ditetapkan. Jumlah pasien yang menjalani hemodialisis di RSUD Ungaran sebanyak 21 orang dan di RSUD Ambarawa sebanyak 25 pasien. Analisis data dilakukan dengan menggunakan uji t test dependent. Hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa dari 46 responden didapatkan rata-rata skor kualitas hidup pasien yang mejalani hemodialisis sebesar 60.22 dengan skor terrendah 55 dan skor tertinggi 69. Bahwa dari 46 responden didapatkan rata-rata skor kualitas hidup pasien yang mejalani hemodialisis sebesar 88.72 dengan skor terrendah 79 dan skor tertinggi 103. Hasil uji statistik dengan uji t test dependent diketahui ada pengaruh logoterapi terhadap kemampuan memaknai hidup pada klien yang menjalani hemodialisis di RSUD Kabupaten Semarang (p value: 0,0001). Saran perlunya peningkatan kemampuan perawat dalam memberikan layanan kesehatan termasuk pemberian atau pemanduan penemuan makna hidup bagi pasien hemodialysis, agar selain dengan hemodialysis, ada faktor internal dari pasien yang dapat dijadikan sebagai motivasi untuk sembuh dari penyakit.   Kata Kunci: Logoterapi, kualitas hidup   IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RENAL FAILURE WHO UNDERWENT HEMODIALYSIS   ABSTRACT Logotherapy is a therapy to discover the positive meaning behind an unexpected event. Logotherapy is carried out individually or in groups in the form of counseling and oriented to the search for the meaning of individual life. This study aims to improve the quality of life of patients with renal failure who underwent hemodialysis. This research was conducted by using pre-experiment with pre-post test study. The sampling technique was done by the convenience sampling. The number of patients undergoing hemodialysis as many as 46 respondents. Data analysis was done by using test t test dependent. The result showed that from 46 respondents got the mean of quality of life of patients who had hemodialysis 60.22 with lowest score 55 and highest score 69. Whereas from 46 respondents got the mean score of life quality of patients who had hemodialysis 88.72 with score the lowest score 79 and the highest score 103. The result of statistical test with t test dependent is known there is influence of logoterapi to the ability of meaningful life on client who undergo hemodialysis at Semarang Regency hospitals (p value: 0.0001). Advice on the need to improve the nurse's ability to provide health services, including the provision or guidance of the discovery of the meaning of life for hemodialysis patients, in addition to hemodialysis, there are internal factors of the patient that can be used as a motivation to recover from illness.   Keywords: Logotherapy, quality of life, kidney failure.  

Particularities of tinnitus in children and adolescents

ORL ro ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-42
Author(s):  
Alexandra Boloș ◽  
Sebastian Cozma ◽  
Andreea Silvana Szalontay
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Ambient Noise ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches

Tinnitus is a common otologic symptom and probably the most troublesome. Tinnitus causes a number of physical and psychological consequences, that interfere with the quality of life of the patient. Many authors believe that the presence of tinnitus in children is a matter of lesser importance than in adults because it is met less frequently and would be a fleeting symptom, inoffensive for them (Graham, 1981). In addition, the prevalence of tinnitus during adolescence and even in young adults is increasing, possibly as a consequence of the increased ambient noise (Bulbul SF, Shargorodsky J). Various therapeutic approaches have generated different results, which led us to consider the role of psychological factors, hence the need to underline the particularities of this symptom in childhood.  

Features and methods of assessing health-related quality of life and cognitive functions in patients with glial tumors

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
Vera Arsenyeva ◽  
Boris Martynov ◽  
Gennadiy Bulyshchenko ◽  
Dmitriy Svistov ◽  
Boris Gaydar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Eortc Qlq ◽  
Patients With Epilepsy

Gliomas make up about 8 cases per 100,000 population and the number of patients with this disease is only increasing. There can be not only various types of neurological deficits among the symptoms, but also personal and emotional changes, that seriously affects the quality of life. The modern model of health care includes not only recovery of the patient’s physical functions, but also his or her psychosocial well-being. In particular, the assessment and study of the characteristics of health-related quality of life, as well as cognitive functions in patients with gliomas, is increasingly recognized as an important criterion when considering the effectiveness of treatment. To date, the features of health related quality of life and cognitive functions of patients with epilepsy and acute cerebral circulation disorders have been studied sufficiently, and, as a result, techniques have been developed that accurately assess the QOL and CF in patients with these diseases. These are QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-AD-48 questionnaires for patients with epilepsy. This is the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Orgogozo stroke scale (OSS), World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) scale for the clinical assessment of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) for patients with acute cerebrovascular accident. At the same time, there are no generally accepted methods for assessing quality of life and neurocognitive functions that are sensitive to changes in the condition of patients with gliomas in the early postoperative period by the time of discharge from the hospital. As a result, there is no systematic information on the dynamics of the quality of life of such patients, their neurocognitive functioning. The purpose of this article was to study the literature on QOL and CF in patients affected by neurological and neurosurgical disorders for the further selection of optimal methods for assessing dynamics of the condition of patients with glial brain tumors before and after surgery. At the moment, such requirements are only partially met by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and its application EORTC QLQ-BN20.

Quality of life after anti-reflux surgical interventions: possible solutions to the problem

2020 ◽  
pp. 3-25
Author(s):  
D. Lukanin ◽  
G. Rodoman ◽  
M. Klimenko ◽  
A. Sokolov ◽  
A. Sokolov
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hiatal Hernia ◽  
Antireflux Surgery ◽  
Nissen Fundoplication ◽  
Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication ◽  
Partial Fundoplication ◽  
Surgical Interventions ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Laparoscopic Nissen

The article presents the results of a prospective controlled parallel clinical study of a new modification of laparoscopic antireflux surgery in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in combination with a hiatal hernia compared with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in terms of assessing quality of life after surgery. Clinical and instrumental examination of patients was carried out a year after surgical interventions. In accordance with the results of instrumental examination after surgery, the proposed modification of laparoscopic partial fundoplication is not inferior to laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication both, in terms of relief of reflux esophagitis symptoms and in relation to the recurrence of hiatal hernia. Clinical monitoring indicates a significantly higher quality of life for patients after the modified antireflux surgery, which is associated with a number of factors. The implementation of this fundoplication led to a decrease in the number of patients with complaints of dysphagia, the development of which is directly related to the surgery performance, as well as to a statistically significant reduction of bloating in the upper abdomen. Another advantage of the modified surgery is a significantly smaller number of cases of gas-bloat syndrome. In addition, the disorders developing in the framework of the gas bloat syndrome after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication are more severe.

scholarly journals Quality of life assessments in clinical practice using either the EORTC-QLQ-C30 or the SEIOQL-DW: a randomized study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Kettis ◽  
Hanna Fagerlind ◽  
Jan-Erik Frödin ◽  
Bengt Glimelius ◽  
Lena Ring
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Health Related Qol ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Effective patient-physician communication can improve patient understanding, agreement on treatment and adherence. This may, in turn, impact on clinical outcomes and patient quality of life (QoL). One way to improve communication is by using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Heretofore, studies of the impact of using PROMs in clinical practice have mostly evaluated the use of standardized PROMs. However, there is reason to believe that individualized instruments may be more appropriate for this purpose. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the standardized QoL-instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life C-30 (EORTC-QOL-C30) and the individualized QoL instrument, the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW), in clinical practice. Methods In a prospective, open-label, controlled intervention study at two hospital out-patient clinics, 390 patients with gastrointestinal cancer were randomly assigned either to complete the EORTC-QOL-C30 or the SEIQoL-DW immediately before the consultation, with their responses being shared with their physician. This was repeated in 3–5 consultations over a period of 4–6 months. The primary outcome measure was patients’ health-related QoL, as measured by FACIT-G. Patients’ satisfaction with the consultation and survival were secondary outcomes. Results There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to study outcomes. Neither intervention instrument resulted in any significant changes in health-related QoL, or in any of the secondary outcomes, over time. This may reflect either a genuine lack of effect or sub-optimization of the intervention. Since there was no comparison to standard care an effect in terms of lack of deterioration over time cannot be excluded. Conclusions Future studies should focus on the implementation process, including the training of physicians to use the instruments and their motivation for doing so. The effects of situational use of standardized or individualized instruments should also be explored. The effectiveness of the different approaches may depend on contextual factors including physician and patient preferences.

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